Method and system for disposing of discarded items

Abstract

An electronic trash disposal unit comprises a control unit which scans and identifies disposed items to store them in an appropriate recycling bin. The unit is connectable to a communication network which updates a central database with the contents of each unit. The unit initiates a reorder instruction to suppliers.

1. A system, comprising:
 an input device operatively configured to scan information from an item; 
 a computer coupled to the input device; 
 a display device; and 
 program software stored in memory configured to:
 receive a code that corresponds to the scanned item from the input device; 
 retrieve information from a database that identifies the scanned item based at least in part on the code; 
 display the information retrieved from the database on the display device; 
 read user specified preference information on when a re-order is to be placed, wherein the user specified preference information specifies a supplier preference; 
 
 generate a re-order instruction for the scanned item at least partly in response to the user specified preference information. 
 
   
   
     2. The system as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a waste receptacle. 
   
   
     3. The system as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a coded liner corresponding to a type of recyclable. 
   
   
     4. The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the input device is configured to read a magnetically encoded label. 
   
   
     5. The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the input device is a barcode scanner. 
   
   
     6. The system as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising an interface that can be coupled to a personal digital assistant, wherein the system is configured to transfer via the interface information to a personal digital assistant. 
   
   
     7. The system as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a wireless communication link coupled to an antenna and used to communicate with a communications network. 
   
   
     8. A system, comprising:
 an input device operatively configured to scan information from an item; 
 a computer coupled to the input device; 
 a display device; and 
 program software stored in memory configured to:
 receive a code that corresponds to the scanned item from the input device; 
 retrieve information from a database that identifies the scanned item based at least in part on the code; 
 display the information retrieved from the database on the display device; 
 read user specified preference information on when a re-order is to be placed; 
 generate a re-order instruction for the scanned item at least partly in response to the user specified preference information, 
 wherein the user specified preference information specifies that a reorder is to be placed when the value of the reorder reaches at least a first amount. 
 
 
   
   
     9. A system, comprising:
 an input device operatively configured to scan information from an item; 
 a computer coupled to the input device; 
 a display device; and 
 program software stored in memory configured to:
 receive a code that corresponds to the scanned item from the input device; 
 retrieve information from a database that identifies the scanned item based at least in part on the code; 
 display the information retrieved from the database on the display device; 
 read user specified preference information on when a re-order is to be placed; 
 generate a re-order instruction for the scanned item at least partly in response to the user specified preference information, 
 wherein the user specified preference information specifies that a reorder is to be placed at specified time intervals.